" ... Advanced powertrain controls ... select the ideal power mode, smoothly switching among electric only, combined diesel and electric, and diesel only power modes. Electricity generated through regenerative braking is stored and used for acceleration, assisting the diesel engine...."

" ... diary of users’ behaviour ... activities or appliances that are ... used ... converted in individual emissions of GHG that may be compared with the weekly average or with country and world average."

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Florida's Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) is committed to solar power and assist customers with loans. This map shows approx. current stats on GRU solar installations.

" ... we have offered Solar Rebates since August 1997 ... we exceeded our latest goal of 40,000 Watts of solar energy for our area. Take a look at our interactive map and see who is using solar energy."

From the map you can see a large number of residential systems are in place !

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

This video explains how geothermal heating and cooling works ... drilling holes into a water source deep in the earth (approx. 200 - 400 feet) and bringing the water to the surface and using a heat exchanger to get air or water to condition (heat or cool) a home or other building.

Geothermal is environmentally friendly as other than electric to run the pumps little energy is needed.

Rock Port, Missouri is the First US city to get ALL its Renewable Energy from the WIND.

" ... 100% wind power status is due to four wind turbines ... Rock Port uses approximately 13 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year ... predicted that these four turbines will produce 16 million kilowatt hours each year."

"Excess ... electricity ... is expected ... to be purchased by the Missouri Joint Municipal Utilities for use in other areas ... University of Missouri Extension specialists say that there are excellent opportunities for sustainable wind power in northwest Missouri ... currently 24 wind turbines in Atchison County, 24 in Nodaway County and 27 in Gentry County. ..."

" ... benefits landowners, who can make anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 leasing part of their property ..."

" ... U.S. Department of Energy indicates that northwest Missouri has the state's highest concentration of wind resources and contains a number of locations potentially suitable for utility-scale wind development."

Monday, August 24, 2009

I saw these hats, along with belts, bags and other items, in Duck, North Carolina yesterday. These sturdy items are made from reused tarp canvas -- see more below.

" ... tarp hat made in Brazil and crafted from recycled tarps of Brazilian cargo trucks in an attempt to cut down on the wasting of resources. ... Most likely the fabric ... traveled from the Amazon to Sao Paulo and back again ... "

Sunday, August 23, 2009

thegreenoffice makes it easy to be green at work. Their line of products are all earth friendly and they "walk the talk".

The site also provides lots of interesting information about definitions of green, recycled, etc. Lots of good information and good products !!

Read on for more ... >>>

" ... the first online retailer to offer a full selection of office products focused on Green choices, giving you the power to make socially and environmentally responsible purchasing decisions for the workplace. ... "walk the talk" ... industry leaders whose values are in line with our business. ... dedicated to the environment ... we ride our bikes and take public transportation, ... are driven by a need to make a meaningful impact with our work ... working to achieve sustainability in the workplace ..."

"... Green Screen™ ... ranks office products by Greenness (Dark Green, Green, or Conventional) ... to make informed decisions about the products that you bring into your office."

" ... Dark Green products are at the forefront of sustainability, challenging the conventional market in interesting and pioneering ways. ..."

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Here is an interesting way to reduce waste. reuse waste and generate carbon neutral power from a virtually never ending supply of manure ...

" ... largest biomass power plant running exclusively on chicken manure has opened in the Netherlands ... will deliver renewable electricity to 90,000 households ... capacity of 36.5 megawatts ... more than 270 million kWh of electricity per year."

" ... more than merely “carbon neutral” ... manure ... spread out over farm land ... would release not only CO2, but also methane, a very potent greenhouse gas ... using the manure for power generation, the release of methane is avoided."

" ... plant will utilize approximately 440,000 tons of chicken manure, roughly one third of the total amount produced each year in the Netherlands. ... European countries ... suffer under an excess of different types of animal manure that pollute the environment."

Monday, August 17, 2009

Here are some energy saving tips from the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. Check out earlier posts about this GREEN and environmentally friendly brewery.

For the rest of the list, more details on the items listed and more info about this environmentally friendly brewery ... follow the link at the end of this post."Hang your clothes out to dry ... clothing-dryer is the 2nd-most energy consumptive household appliance after the refrigerator ... if you don’t have space for an outdoor clothesline there are indoor racks that are compact and work like a charm."

"Put on a sweater ... When the temperatures drop, ... put on some soft booties, and sip a steamy hot drink. It’ll make you feel all warm and fuzzy."

"Drink tap water ... Shipping bottled water around the world in plastic bottles burns a heap of fuel, pollutes our air, and puts more plastic into an increasingly plastic-sheathed world. ... if tap water is not up to your standards, there are ... filters available at much more affordable prices than the cost of purchasing bottled water."

Saturday, August 15, 2009

It's back to school time - or at least time to start thinking about school supplies. This year there are lots of GREEN options to consider ..."Goodkind crafts these ... from FSC-certified scraps of birch and beech. Almost every element of each pen is recycled, from their steel pocket clips and trim to their brass cartridges, filled with non-toxic ink ... ship with recyclable packaging"

" ... journals by Subu ... composed from recycled cardstock and scrap paper and tastefully finished with a button-bound length of twine."

" ... Terracycle ... teamed up with OfficeMax to provide a line of green school supplies manufactured entirely from recycled materials ... Eco Binders are composed from 100% recycled cardboard and 90% recycled steel rings, and once they reach the end of their lifecycle you can simply ship them back to Terracycle to be repurposed."

Friday, August 14, 2009

It's getting closer to "back to school" time. This year why not go back to school in a GREENway? Use back to school as a learning opportunity / teachable moment with your kids !

Check out these GREEN ideas ..."Reuse, reuse, reuse ... reuse some of last year’s school supplies instead of buying everything new ... If you do have to buy new, look for reusable ... or recycled ..."... Toxins are out ... only use art supplies ... labeled "AP Certified Non-Toxic"..."

Thursday, August 13, 2009

It seems that everyone hates junk mail ... those that get it and have to sort through it ... and those that deliver it ...

There are ways to slop the flood of junk mail ... and perhaps save a few trees as well ... " ... to reduce your risk of having your identity hijacked ... and to ease your loyal mail carrier’s back strain—try these tips to turn a tide of unwanted mail into a trickle ... Call 888-567-8688 (888-5-OPT-OUT) from your home telephone ... Or visit http://www.optoutprescreen.com/ ... this simple step should halt what some experts believe is the most dangerous type of unwanted mail: pre-approved credit offers ... You can opt out for five years or permanently, but you must follow the opt-out procedure for each adult member of your family."

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Many years ago I recall VW offering "Start - Stop" engines in the US. Basically the engine turned off at stop lights and fired back up when the accelerator was pushed. Automatic "Start - Stop" systems eliminate wasteful idling at lights and other stops.

Ford is bring this technology to it's fleet over the next several years.

" ... start-stop systems ... shut down the engine to prevent idling ... in the US, only hybrids have that capability ... Barb Samardzich, VP of Global Powertrain engineering stated that over the next several years all Ford vehicles will get the auto-stop capability. Currently, only the Escape, Mariner, Fusion, and Milan hybrids have it here ..."

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Dilbert's creater, Scott Adams, is building Dilbert's Ultimate House (DUH for short). This ahs some interesting GREEN features. In addition to eliminating wasted space like a large foyer or rarely used dining room there are the usual energy efficient design elements and appliances.

"... building the greenest home in the area ... for its size ... definition of green isn't about giving up what you want so much as finding the greenest way to do it ... energy-saving features include ... Solar panels ... Clay roof with lighter colors for best reflective properties ... Thermal barrier in roof ... Windows minimized and shaded on the hot West side ... Efficient lighting ... Energy Star appliances ..."

" ... goal was to get our use of AC use down to a few days per summer ... my current office ... I have to run the AC full-blast for about 9 months a year."

" ... back yard will be artificial turf. Water is a big issue in California. ..."

Costco has partnered with Gazelle ... so you can now get Costco cash cards for your old electronics.

" ... go online, you tell them what you have to recycle ... tell you how much they’ll pay for it, and then they send you a box to ship it in, free of charge ...

"

"Gazelle is the nation’s largest reCommerce company, ... practical, responsible, rewarding way for consumers to get value for used electronics ... vision for the future is that every consumer electronic is considered for reCommerce and that none ends up in a landfill."

" ... great way to recycle your electronics safely, and get some Costco cash in the exchange ... they wipe all your stuff clean before they do whatever they do with it."

Monday, August 10, 2009

Target teamed up with Newsweek to promote the Retote - a reusable shopping bag (with the Target logo) made from recycled Target Pplastic bags.

" ... teamed up with Newsweek and Terracycle to make Retotes ... reusable bag program ... the Retote is made of used, recycled Target bags that have been returned to the store then Terracycle turns them into reusable shopping bags ... Newsweeks April 15, 2008 issue, “Environment & Leadership: Who’s the Greenest of Them All?” ... the cover doubles as an envelope that you can use to send in and get a coupon for a free Retote (which retail for $6). "

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Dr. Majid Rashidi or Cleveland State University's College of Engineering designed a turbine that can generate power at low wind speeds.

" ... wind tower amplification system ... designed by Dr. Majid Rashidi of CSU’s Fenn College of Engineering, is a wind deflecting structure with small-scale turbines that can generate power at low wind speeds."

" ... patented ... turbine system, developed as a cost-effective alternative to traditional

Wondering how to get rid of your old electronics in an environmentally friendly way? Gazelle will take your old e-stuff and turn it into cash ... and keep it out of landfills !

" ... fast, easy and safe way for you to sell electronics and recycle electronics ... earn cash ... save the environment by keeping old, used gadgets out of landfills ... get green while being green! "

" ... believes that electronics recycling starts with reuse ... When we receive items that are still in working condition, we extend their lives by ... selling the electronics through a variety of retail and wholesale outlets. Items without market value are recycled responsibly."

Why Recycle electronics?

In 2005 the EPA determined " ... Americans got rid of 304 million TVs, VCRs, cell phones, computers and monitors. Two-thirds of them still worked ... Computer Takeback Campaign reports that 130 million cell phones are thrown away every year ."

You can make a difference and possibly pocket some GREEN at the same time !

Friday, August 7, 2009

In the paint "space" numerous groups " ... like the U. S. Green Building Council (LEED), Master Painter's Institute (MPI),Greenguard, California's Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) and Green Seal ... are trying to define what green means for coatings as well as other consumer products."

"Some ... focus on what is in the paint while others ... are focused on what is emitted ... net result of so many competing standards is a confused and sometimes frustrated consumer."

" ... to make it easier for our customers ... to make sense of all these standards while also bringing clarity to our perspective on green ... introducing our Green Promise designation ... Benjamin Moore's assurance that its environmentally friendly coatings meet and exceed the strictest industry standards ..."

For more info on various 3rd party standards check out the links below"

"Where the primary heating system is a forced-air furnace, at least one thermostat per dwelling unit shall be capable of controlling the heating and cooling system on a daily schedule to maintain different temperature set points at different times of the day...."

" ... typical programmable thermostat will add between $20 and $40 over the cost of manual thermostats. ... can save about $150 a year in energy costs."

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Vibram is well known for its soles for hiking and other boots. They are also a GREEN company... they recycle, use recycled materials and suppoirt renewable energy.

" ... Vibram ECOSTEP® includes at least 30% of recycled rubber ... extended its environmental efforts to EVA products ... uses 10% recycled EVA from EVA midsole flash."" ... Vibram North America production site ... developed a full line of "green" products for flooring application based on 100% recycled rubber."

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Plastic food bags are easy to recycle -they are usually #2 HDPE or #4 LDPE and most grocery stores collect the bags for recycling. But what about the paper or plastic covered wire twist ties?

>>> They may not be easily recyclable but they can be reused / re-purposed.

" ... ideas for reusing twist ties ... Most of these ideas work with the ridiculous twist ties that cement kids’ toys into packaging ..."

"Tie up other food bags – ... when you open a bag of frozen vegetables but don’t use it up ..."

"Tie up plants to stakes ... "

"Secure cords ... keep a bunch of cords by the TV or by your desk from getting unruly.

"Tie Christmas lights ... string lights ... with twist ties. ..."

Or avoid them altogether when possible ... at the food store consider tying plastic bags closed with a slip knot that will keep the bag closed so things to not spill out but still come open easily or bring some from home .... they can be used many times before they need to be tossed out with the trash !

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About Me

I have always been a bit of a "green dude".
I remember as a young cub scout holding paper drives (do people still have paper drives) well before there was commercial recycling.
As an adult I recycle more than most folks ... including #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 and #6 plastics ... more on that later.